Fragmentation shield for a container processing machine

ABSTRACT

A fragmentation protection structure or shield for a machine having a conveyor belt for advancing a line of frangible containers through an operating station wherein the containers may be burst. The machine includes a means for moving the containers one at a time toward one edge of the belt where the operating station is located, and a plate is supported on the machine over the said station. A thin resilient shield is supported by and below the plate and is so constructed and arranged as to cover the open mouths of containers approaching and leaving the operating station and to be spaced above the open mouth of a container at the station.

United States Patent [191 Federko [451 Apr. 24, R973 FRAGMENTATION SHIELD FOR A Primary Examiner-Evon C. Blunk CONTAINER PROCESSING MACHINE Assistant ExaminerH. S. Lane 75 Inventor: Andrew s. Federko, Bloomfield, Mccmmck Conn 57 ABSTRACT [73] Assignee: Emhart Corporation, Bloomfield, I

Con A fragmentation protectlon structure or shield for a machine having a conveyor belt for advancing a line Filed! 22,1971 of frangible containers through an operating station [211 App] 200,904 wherein the containers may be burst. The machine inv cludes a means for moving the containers one at a time toward one edge of the belt where the operating [52] US. Cl ..l98/l9, 141/97 Station is located, and a plate is supported on the [51 Int. Cl. ..B23q 5/22 machine over the Said Station A thin resilient Shield is [58] Field of Search ..l98/l9; [41/97, 390 Supported and below the plate and is so structed and arranged as to cover the open mouths of [56] References cued containers approaching and leaving the operating sta- UNITED STATES PATENTS tion and to be spaced above the open mouth of a container at the station. 2,792,028 5/1957 Henze et al l4l/97 11 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures Patented April 24, 1973 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I

Patented April 24, 1973 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3 2a 23 Patented April 24, 1973 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 FRAGMENTATION SHIELD FOR A CONTAINER PROCESSING MACHINE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There are many machines for processing glass containers or other frangible containers wherein it is not uncommon for such a container to be burst at the operating or processing station. For example, such a container may be burst at the operating station or a container pressure testing machine, at the filling station of a filling machine, or at a rinsing station of a container rinser. In all such machines when a container is burst, fragments will fly in all directions and there is a danger of the fragments falling into the open mouths of other containers in the machine. The danger of having container fragments in good containers is apparent, and it is the general object of the present invention to provide'a fragmentation protection structure which will prevent fragments of a burst container from flying into sound containers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In fulfilling the object of the present invention, a container advancing wheel is located to project over the container conveyor belt from one edge thereof so as to cooperate with appropriate guide means and to advance the containers in spaced apart relationship toward an operating station at the other edge of the belt. A fragmentation shield is supported on the machine and over the containers advancing to and leaving the operating station, this shield being constructed and arranged so as to cover the open mouths of the containers approaching and leaving the station while being spaced above the open mouth of a container at the station. Thus, if a container is burst at the operating station, its fragments cannot fly into the adjacent containers in the machine.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a container processing machine with parts thereof deleted and shown in horizontal section to provide a better view of the fragmentation protection structure.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken through a portion of FIG. 1 on an irregular line as indicated at 2-2.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view showing just the protective structure in association with three containers on the machine conveyor.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged top plan view of the fragmentation shield. I

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the shield.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT For purposes of illustration, the fragmentation protection structure provided in accordance with the present invention is shown incorporated in a glass container pressure testing machine. Such machine includes a driven endless belt conveyor for transporting the series of open mouth glass containers C, C through the machine, a wide mouth container being shown for purposes of illustration.

In the machine shown, the containers C, C are moved one at a time and in spaced relationship through 0 engage the containers on the belt in cooperation with an opposed arcuate guide structure 16. More specifically, the wheel 12 is driven at a relatively high rate of speed so that it in cooperation with the guide means 116 will engage and advance the foremost container C on the conveyor belt faster than the belt has been advancing the containers. Thus, the foremost container in the series is moved ahead of the next adjacent container through an arcuate path defined by the periphery of the wheel and the cooperating arcuate guide means 16. In traveling through the arcuate path, each container in turn reaches the operating station S when the container is adjacent the edge of the conveyor belt 10 opposite the edge over which the wheel 12 projects.

In the pressure testing machine shown, each container C is subjected to a pressure test at the operating station S. While the pressure testing apparatus may take various forms, that shown includes a pad 18 which is brought to bear against the body of each container opposite the wheel 12 as the container passes through the station. As shown in FIG. 2, the pad 18 is supported on a frame sub-assembly 20 which is pivotally connected at 22 to an overhead fixed frame 24 which is a part of the general machine frame. The ability of each container C to withstand a predetermined pressure is tested by the forces applied to the body of the container through the wheel 12 and the opposed pad 113. If the container will not withstand the designated pressure, it will burst and fragments of the container may fly in all directions. However, it is desirable to keep such fragments from flying into the adjacent open mouth containers on the belt 10 and it is also desirable to direct as many of the fragments as possible downwardly and off the outside or other edge of the belt 10.

The means provided in accordance with the present invention for shielding the adjacent containers from the fragments of a burst container and for directing such fragments downwardly includes a horizontally supported generally rectangular plate 26. The plate 26 is supported at the bottom end of a pair of rods 28 which are vertically adjustably mounted in an overhead frame member 30 forming a part of the general machine frame structure. While the plate 26 is generally rectangular, it nonetheless has an arcuate inner edge of sub- 1 stantially equal radius and overlying the periphery of the wheel 12 on that portion of the periphery which moves the containers through the aforementioned arcuate path. It will be observed in FIG. 1, that the plate 26 is of sufficient length to cover the spaced apart containers as they approach and pass through and beyond composite shield is so constructed that when they are connected together to form the composite shield, the said shield is of substantially the same size and shape as the plate 26 when viewed from the top. Further, each end section 32 and 34 includes an outer end portion 36 which is connected to an associated outer end of the plate 26 at the bottom thereof by suitable screws or the like passing through the holes 38, 38 provided in the shield end portion 36. Each shield section also includes a downwardly offset substantially horizontal portion 40 which is connected to the adjacent end portion 36 by a tapered portion 42. Finally, each shield section 32 and 34 includes an upwardly offset inner end portion connected to its associated intermediate portion by an additional taper 46. As seen in FIG. 4, the inner edge 48 of each shield section is arcuate and is formed on a radius substantially equal to the radius of the wheel 12 and the arcuate edge of the overhead supporting plate 26.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that each shield section 32 and 34 is supported in cantilever fashion on the bottom of the support plate 26 and at its outer end portion and with its inner end portion extending toward the inner end portion of the other shield section. These inner end portions of the shield sections are detachably connected together. To facilitate this, the inner end portion 44 of one shield section, for example the section 32, is provided with a tongue 50 and the inner end portion 44 of the other shield section is provided with a slot 52 adapted to'receive the tongue 50 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 and thereby to effect the connection between the shield sections as a sliding detachable connection.

I It is important to observe with particular reference to FIG. 3 that the downwardly offset generally horizontal portions 40, of the respective shield sections 32 and 34 are sufficiently low or are offset sufficiently downwardly to assure that as each container C passes below the shield in its arcuate path that the downwardly offset section 40 will engage and cover the open mouth of each container passing. It is also important to observe that the upwardly offset inner end portions of the shield sections are offset upwardly a sufficient distance that when connected they will be spaced above a container C passing in the arcuate path below the shield. THus, as each container C advances through the arcuate path toward the operating station S it will be covered and protected from flying fragments entering its open mouth. Then, as each container reaches the operating station S, its open mouth will be uncovered so as not to interfere with the pressure testing operation in any way. Then, after leaving the operating station, or pressure testing station S, the container will again be covered at its open mouth for protection against the entry of flying fragments. The shape and size of the composite shield is such as to assure that the containers C, C on the approach and departure sides of the station S will be covered as long as a container is at the station S and subjected to possible bursting.

lt is also important to observe that with the cantilever suspension of the shield sections, the said composite shield is resiliently mounted and with the sliding connection between the shield sections there is every assurance that the open mouth of each container adjacent the testing station will be fully covered. The intermediate section of the composite shield, that is, that portion of the composite shield over the testing station S may sag slightly into spaced relationship with the bottom of the plate 26, but the inner end connected portions of the shield sections will still be spaced above the open mouth of any container at the said station.

The resilient or flexible mounting of the shield sections 32 and 34 and the shape of said sections not only assure that each container C will be covered as it approaches and departs from the operating station, but also directs fragments from a container burst at the station downwardly. That is, the tapered portions 46, 46 tend to direct flying fragments downwardly and thus away from the tops of adjacent containers so that most of such fragments will fall off the outer edge of the conveyor belt 10.

I claim:

1. A fragmentation shield for a series of open mouth glass or similarly frangible containers being operated upon in a container processing machine which includes a conveyor means for advancing the containers in spaced relationship in a line through an operating station in the machine wherein the containers are most likely to be burst, the shield comprising a thin sheet of resilient material adapted to be supported at its ends on the machine in suspension over the said station, the shield being of sufficient length to be disposed over containers in the line which are approaching and which have passed the operating station, and the shield being preformed so as to engage and cover the open mouths of those containers approaching and which have passed the station while being spaced above the open mouths of containers at the station.

2. The shield as defined in claim 1 wherein the length and preformed shaped of the shield are such as to assure that while a container is being operated on at the said station the container ahead of it in line and the container behind it in line are covered, and the shape of the shield being such as to deflect fragments of a container burst at the station downwardly and away from the adjacent covered containers.

3. The shield construction of claim 2 comprising two resilient end sections connected to form the composite shield, each such end section having an outer end portion connected to the machine, a downwardly offset intermediate portion to engage and cover the open mouth of a container adjacent the operating station, and an upwardly offset inner end portion adapted for detachable connection with the inner end portion of the other shield section to form that portion of the composite shield which is spaced above a container at the said station.

4. The shield as defined in claim 3 wherein each shield section is tapered downwardly from the outer end portion to its intermediate portion and tapered upwardly to its inner end portion, and wherein the inner end portion of one such section is provided with a tongue and the inner end portion of the other section has a slot to receive said tongue whereby to provide a sliding detachable connection between the shield sections.

5. A fragmentation protection structure for a series of open mouth frangible containers being operated upon in a processing machine which includes a belt conveyor for the containers, a driven wheel projecting over the conveyor belt from one edge thereof, arcuate guide means adjacent the other edge of the belt and cooperating with the said wheel to cause the periphery of the wheel to engage containers on the belt and to move them in spaced apart relationship through an arcuate path and thus through an operating station in the machine intermediate said path and over said other edge of the conveyor belt, said protection structure comprising a shield of thin resilient material adapted to be supported at its ends on the machine in suspension over the arcuate path of the containers and being of sufficient length to be disposed over containers approaching and which have passed the operation station, and the shield being preformed so as to engage and cover the open mouths of those containers approaching and which have passed the station while being spaced above the open mouths of containers at the station.

6. The construction of claim 5 wherein the length and preformed shape of the shield are such as to assure that while a container is being operated upon at the said station the container ahead of it and the container behind it on the arcuate path are covered, and the shape of the shield is such as to deflect fragments of a container burst at the station downwardly toward said other edge of the belt.

7. The protective structure in claim 6 wherein the shield comprises two thin resilient end sections connected together, each such end section having an outer end portion connected to the machine, a downwardly offset intermediate portion to engage and cover the open mouth of a container adjacent the operating station, and an upwardly offset inner end portion adapted for detachable connection with the inner end portion of the other shield section to form that portion of the composite shield which is spaced above the open mouth of a container at the said station.

8. The structure defined in claim 5 wherein a horizontal plate having an arcuate edge around the periphery of said wheel is mounted on said machine over said arcuate path and said shield is supported at its ends bybeing secured to the bottom of said plate, said shield having an arcuate edge similar to said plate.

9. The structure in claim 7 wherein a horizontal plate is mounted on the machine to cover said arcuate path and has an arcuate edge around the periphery of the wheel adjacent the path, and each section of the shield is secured at its outer end portion to the bottom of the plate and has an arcuate edge similar to the overlying arcuate edge of the plate.

10'. The protective structure defined in claim 9 wherein each shield section is tapered downwardly from the outer end portion to its intermediate portion and tapered upwardly to its inner end portion, and wherein the inner end portion of one such section is provided with a tongue and the inner end portion of the other section has a slot to receive said tongue whereby to provide a sliding detachable connection between the shield sections.

11. The fragmentation protection structure as defined in claim 10 wherein a pressure applying pad engages each container at the operating station in opposed relationship to the periphery of said wheel. 

1. A fragmentation shield for a series of open mouth glass or similarly frangible containers being operated upon in a container processing machine which includes a conveyor means for advancing the containers in spaced relationship in a line through an operating station in the machine wherein the contAiners are most likely to be burst, the shield comprising a thin sheet of resilient material adapted to be supported at its ends on the machine in suspension over the said station, the shield being of sufficient length to be disposed over containers in the line which are approaching and which have passed the operating station, and the shield being preformed so as to engage and cover the open mouths of those containers approaching and which have passed the station while being spaced above the open mouths of containers at the station.
 2. The shield as defined in claim 1 wherein the length and preformed shape of the shield are such as to assure that while a container is being operated on at the said station the container ahead of it in line and the container behind it in line are covered, and the shape of the shield being such as to deflect fragments of a container burst at the station downwardly and away from the adjacent covered containers.
 3. The shield construction of claim 2 comprising two resilient end sections connected to form the composite shield, each such end section having an outer end portion connected to the machine, a downwardly offset intermediate portion to engage and cover the open mouth of a container adjacent the operating station, and an upwardly offset inner end portion adapted for detachable connection with the inner end portion of the other shield section to form that portion of the composite shield which is spaced above a container at the said station.
 4. The shield as defined in claim 3 wherein each shield section is tapered downwardly from the outer end portion to its intermediate portion and tapered upwardly to its inner end portion, and wherein the inner end portion of one such section is provided with a tongue and the inner end portion of the other section has a slot to receive said tongue whereby to provide a sliding detachable connection between the shield sections.
 5. A fragmentation protection structure for a series of open mouth frangible containers being operated upon in a processing machine which includes a belt conveyor for the containers, a driven wheel projecting over the conveyor belt from one edge thereof, arcuate guide means adjacent the other edge of the belt and cooperating with the said wheel to cause the periphery of the wheel to engage containers on the belt and to move them in spaced apart relationship through an arcuate path and thus through an operating station in the machine intermediate said path and over said other edge of the conveyor belt, said protection structure comprising a shield of thin resilient material adapted to be supported at its ends on the machine in suspension over the arcuate path of the containers and being of sufficient length to be disposed over containers approaching and which have passed the operation station, and the shield being preformed so as to engage and cover the open mouths of those containers approaching and which have passed the station while being spaced above the open mouths of containers at the station.
 6. The construction of claim 5 wherein the length and preformed shape of the shield are such as to assure that while a container is being operated upon at the said station the container ahead of it and the container behind it on the arcuate path are covered, and the shape of the shield is such as to deflect fragments of a container burst at the station downwardly toward said other edge of the belt.
 7. The protective structure in claim 6 wherein the shield comprises two thin resilient end sections connected together, each such end section having an outer end portion connected to the machine, a downwardly offset intermediate portion to engage and cover the open mouth of a container adjacent the operating station, and an upwardly offset inner end portion adapted for detachable connection with the inner end portion of the other shield section to form that portion of the composite shield which is spaced above the open mouth of a container at the said station.
 8. The structuRe defined in claim 5 wherein a horizontal plate having an arcuate edge around the periphery of said wheel is mounted on said machine over said arcuate path and said shield is supported at its ends by being secured to the bottom of said plate, said shield having an arcuate edge similar to said plate.
 9. The structure in claim 7 wherein a horizontal plate is mounted on the machine to cover said arcuate path and has an arcuate edge around the periphery of the wheel adjacent the path, and each section of the shield is secured at its outer end portion to the bottom of the plate and has an arcuate edge similar to the overlying arcuate edge of the plate.
 10. The protective structure defined in claim 9 wherein each shield section is tapered downwardly from the outer end portion to its intermediate portion and tapered upwardly to its inner end portion, and wherein the inner end portion of one such section is provided with a tongue and the inner end portion of the other section has a slot to receive said tongue whereby to provide a sliding detachable connection between the shield sections.
 11. The fragmentation protection structure as defined in claim 10 wherein a pressure applying pad engages each container at the operating station in opposed relationship to the periphery of said wheel. 